November Rain
by PhantomVarg
Summary: On a rainy evening, Devi is attacked while walking home. Nny rescues her, but is terribly wounded from the fight. Reluctantly, Devi drags his unconscious body to her apartment to take care of him. Soon the bond between them begins to rebuild itself...
1. I Miss You

_Heya! This is my first JtHM story, so please please, please, PLEASE don't bludgeon me to death with steamed broccoli if it sucks! Yeah so… I had a rough copy of this marinating in my notebook since late august, and I finally got a chance to work on it. If anyone of out of character, I apologize in advance. Well, have fun reading it, and don't forget to review!_

**JthM © to Jhonen Vazquez** bows_ I'M NOT WORTHY!_

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It was darker than what was usual for this time of year. The late autumn sky was obscured by a thick, gray blanket of rain clouds, which prevented the full moon from casting its silvery glow. A cold wind blew, harsh and merciless, bringing with it icy droplets of rain which gusted through the freezing November air. Dead leaves littered the ground, while the ones that had not been sodden by the rain blew around in the chilling breeze. It was well past midnight, and the park would have been abandoned by now. The day's visitors had gone. Or so it seemed.

A solitary figure wandered there. Slowly and silently, he trekked along the deserted paths. Dark brown eyes darted around, wary of the slightest stirring in the darkness. The faint clanging of blades could be heard with every step the figure took, indicating that he hid weapons beneath his trench coat.

The figure was that of a tall, abnormally thin man. His raven-black hair was wild and unkempt. His eyes were sunken, the eyelids darkened from lack of sleep. His skin was stretched over his bony frame, and paled from not being in the sunlight for weeks. The man was clad completely in black. From his boots to the shirt on his back, his clothes ranged from shades of dark gray to pure onyx.

Johnny C. shivered bitterly, pulling his coat closer to his thin body. The rain had soaked through his clothes, chilling him. His head hurt, and his breathing sounded uneven as he walked. He cursed himself for leaving his house. He had left this town a long time ago, to get away from his emotions and problems. He wanted to be cold and numb, without feeling. The trip had only added to his growing hate for mankind. In every town he stopped in, people would look at him strangely, or glare at him with rejection. Now it was over a year later, and Johnny had returned to his run down house.

He had only been there for a few moments, when he felt that he couldn't stay there any longer. There was nothing for him there, nothing but haunting memories, a terrible silence, and, deep below the floor, a blood splattered wall. Growling to himself, he left the place, wandering around. Johnny had been so deep in thought that he was hardly aware of where his feet were taking him. Only when he got caught in a downpour of rain did he realize where he was. Trying to forget about his wet clothes and trembling body, Johnny gazed up as he walked, the fridged raindrops running down his face. All he could see was the shadowy clouds.

Johnny lowered his eyes, sighing miserably as an ache of loneliness began to gnaw at his heart. He was free of so many things now. Free from the whispering lies of the doughboys. Free from the slavery of the thing that had been in his wall, the very thing that forced him to slaughter so many people. But he remained a prisoner of his own mind.

Reverend Meat's words whispered in his brain…

"_There is no choice. You're always a slave to something…"_

Johnny was jerked out of his thoughts as a coughing fit took hold of him. He sat down heavily on a nearby bench just off the path, trying to draw a breath. After what seemed like hours, he was able to breathe again. He closed his eyes, leaning his head on the wooden surface. "Goddamnit," he muttered to himself. The rain was letting up, now only a misty drizzle remained. But the ceasing of the rain had brought little comfort, for the wind still remained. The icy gusts shook through the trees, their bare branches creaking and bending from the force.

Johnny looked up again, trembling, as a distant memory flashed in his mind. It was a memory of a star filled evening. A memory of looking down on the city from a distant hill. A memory of a girl, a girl whom he had become friends with, someone he cared deeply about.

"Devi…"

Of all the memories of his past, the thought of Devi hurt him the most. They had met at a bookstore, where she worked. They had shared many conversations, talking about everything they could think of. From books to art, they found that they saw eye to eye in nearly every subject. Johnny missed her terribly. Her image was engraved in his mind: her smile, her graceful motions, and her talent for painting. But what he missed most of all were her eyes. When ever he had looked into them, he saw the flickering of both kindness and intelligence in those blazing green orbs.

Johnny's eyes began to sting with tears as he recalled their date. Everything had been perfect that night. Everything had gone so well, up until Devi had tried to kiss him. He fled from the room in a panic, the voice of Mr. Eff whispering in his mind. It had driven him to attack her with knives, to "immortalize the moment". But Devi had escaped, proving that she was more than capable of defending herself, and leaving Johnny bleeding on the floor.

He had tried to apologize to her over the phone. He had wanted to make things right again. He had wanted to start over. But she had refused his apology. Devi had refused _him_...

"Devi…" he choked. "I miss you… so much…"

Tears began to stream down Johnny's face. He clamped his eyes shut, burying his face in his hands. Soft sobs began echoing through his body. For the first time in a long time, Johnny was crying.

--

Unknown to Johnny, another person wandered the streets that night. Devi had forced herself out of her apartment, something she rarely did. She didn't want to leave the security of her home. After all, _he_ was still out there. But some unknown force had pushed her outdoors, and left Devi wandering the empty streets downtown, not far from the park. It was cold and rainy weather, with an icy wing gusting every now and then. Devi hugged her coat closer to her body, shivering slightly, but still thankful that she had waited until the rain had lessened before leaving her apartment.

She glanced over her shoulder every once in a while. Everywhere she went, it felt like _he_ was always there, waiting in the shadows. Devi's fear of meeting up with Johnny had taken its toll on her mind. She had the same reoccurring nightmare nearly every time she closed her eyes. It was flashback of that fateful night over a year ago, only it always ended with Johnny stabbing her, ending her life. Even though it had been over a year since she had heard from him, Devi almost expected him to step out of the shadows, knife in hand and kill her.

But, even though he had tried to kill her, Devi couldn't help but feel like she… _missed_ him.

_Damnit Devi, _she thought. _He tried to fucking kill you! Why are you thinking of him so much!_

Devi didn't want to admit it, but she did miss him. Johnny had been so kind to her. How could someone who was that nice turn so violent almost instantly? _There must have been something wrong with him, some disorder in his mind. But what?_ She sighed, trying not to think of him. Lifting her hand, Devi glanced at the watch on her wrist.

It was 1:15 in the morning.

Growling to herself, Devi turned around, and began walking back to her apartment building. She was tired and cold, and just wanted to get back inside, where it was safe. She stared at the sidewalk, still thinking of Johnny, and wondering what had become of him.

But as she walked, Devi failed to notice the three dark shadows that crept silently behind her, waiting for the right moment to attack…

_Uh-oh. Here comes trouble. So, what do you think so far? Do you just adore it, or do you wish to decapitate me for messing around with Jhonen's great work? Review and tell me!_


	2. Downpour Battle

_Okay, here it is, my wonderful slaves! Chapter two! WHHEE (does happy dance) Thank you SO much for all your awesome reviews! (gives cookies to all reviewers)_

_-----------------_

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Johnny walked out of the park entrance gates, and into the downtown area. He shoved his hands into his pockets, staring down at the concrete path as he walked. Like the park, the place was seemingly empty, and, even though it added to his isolation, it was a slight comfort. He didn't want to be seen.

Another gust of wind blew. Johnny shivered violently, wrapping his arms around himself in a futile effort to get warm. Usually, the cold didn't bother him. But tonight, with his wet clothes and aching head, it was different. Sighing harshly, Johnny began walking in the direction of his house. He was about to turn the corner when he saw a shadow flicker in the corner of his eye. He came to a halt, turned his head, and raised a brow at what he saw.

Three men where creeping along the brick wall of a building. Their eyes glittered with cruel intent, and one of them was sniggering softly to the others. It was clear that they were stalking someone.

_Curious,_ Johnny thought. _Very curious…_

Silent as a ghost, Johnny skulked behind them. He kept a far distance between them and himself, making sure he was completely undetected. The three strangers came to a stop, whispering to one another. Johnny ducked in a dark alley beside a nearby building, watching from afar. His dark eyes narrowed as he tried to catch a glimpse of who these men were following. He could see that it was a young woman, and she looked oddly familiar…

Johnny gasped, his eyes becoming huge with shock.

_Oh God…Devi…_

--

Devi sighed as she passed an old, ramshackle building. She was cold and tired, and wanted nothing more than to just go home and sleep. Quickening her pace, she continued to walk down the street.

The she heard a cold, ominous voice call out to her.

"Hey, lady? You got the time?"

Devi froze on the instant, turning slowly. Behind her, three shaped emerged from the shadowy alleyway. Three men stood before her. One had bleached blonde hair and a stocky body. The other was much taller, with light brown hair that reached past his shoulders. But it was the one in the middle that terrified Devi most of all. He was muscular, with dirty red hair and cunning, evil face. All three men had a glitter of cruelty in their eyes. In her terror, Devi couldn't find her voice.

"I said," the red-haired hissed, "do you have the time?"

Devi swallowed, and spoke, stuttering in fright. "N-no," she lied, pulling the sleeve of her coat over her watch. "I don't. Sorry."

She turned to leave, but a cold hand on her shoulder stopped her. Devi's body went ridged.

"Aww, too bad," the blonde man cooed. "Well, miss, maybe you could help us in a different way…"

They began to crowd around her, cornering her in the alley. Devi's eyes widened in pure horror. Too scared to think, too scared to run. She was completely trapped.

_This is it… I'm gonna die…_

--

"Oh, God… no!"

Johnny watched in horror, hate beginning to flow through his veins. At his sides, his hands tightened into fists, his fingernails digging painfully into his palms. He gritted his teeth in a snarl. This would _not_ happen to her, not while he was there.

Breaking into a run, Johnny charged toward the scene as the rain began to pour down once again.

--

Devi gasped as the red-head pulled a small knife from his pocket. He flicked the blade up, smiling at it.

"I love this knife," he said, running his fingers along the blade. "Mmm, yes. Nice and sharp. Perfect for what we have to do, eh, boys?" He snickered to his companions, who laughed stupidly in response. Then, to Devi's horror, he held it over his head, preparing to strike.

"Ladies first…"

Devi shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the pain…

Then, out of nowhere, a hoarse voice sounded.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!"

Devi opened her eyes, glancing behind her attackers. A tall, horribly thin man stood there, shivering in the rain. His face was entirely in shadow, sealing his identity. His hair was disheveled, his clothes soaked in rainwater. He was dressed completely in black, with knee-high boots and a black trench coat.

"Oh," said the red-head. "You mean like _this?_" He flicked the blade lightly across Devi's face, drawing blood. Devi winced in pain.

The stranger stood still for a moment. Then, quick as a flash of lighting, reached into his coat, and pulled out a knife. It's long, silvery blade gleamed dully in the half-light. He held it at his side impatiently, as if restraining himself.

"Touch her again… and I'll tear you apart."

The shorter, blonde male scoffed. "Oohh, we're running home to our mothers," he said, sarcasm heavy in his words.

"Back off now, and I won't kill you."

The threesome glanced menacingly at Devi, and then turned back to the stranger. "Now, why would we do that?" the tallest said. "You couldn't even kill a cheerleader, you scrawny jackass!"

The stranger stepped forward, producing another blade from under his coat. "I'll ask you again, _back off_!"

The red-haired man rolled his eyes. "Here, you two take him." He tossed the knife to the brunette. "Finish him off. And make it good." He put one arm around Devi, holding her against the wall. "After all, I think Missy here would like to watch one last good show…"

--

As the two attackers began to rush toward him, Johnny sprinted forward, knives at the ready. In less than a second, he lashed out with the blades, cutting deep into the blonde's arm. The short man dropped the knife, shrieking in pain. Johnny was about to finish him off, when he heard the footsteps of the taller man coming up from behind. Johnny whirled around and, ducking down a bit, plunged the knife into the assailant's stomach. He fell backwards onto the pavement, blood pouring from his mouth.

Johnny stood over him, and looked him in the eye, glaring with hatred. Then, flashing a twisted smile, sliced into the brunette's throat. Blood sprayed from the wound, showering on the ground and mixing with the rain.

As Johnny turned to finish off the short blond, he felt a weak punch at his side. There in front of him was the stocky blonde. One arm hung limp and bleeding at his side, while he used the other to give a feeble attempt to defend himself. Sighing as if he were bored, Johnny knocked the short man to the ground.

As he hit the ground, the blonde glanced to his side and looked right into the face of his dead friend. He gasped, and tried to sit up, but what he saw next only pushed him down again.

Johnny stood over him, clasping the knives firmly in his grasp.

"So long," he breathed. "And goodnight."

--

"That little bitch!" The red-head had watched the stranger kill slice his friend's throat, making short work of him. Now he stood there, still holding Devi decisively against the wall, and watching his other companion being torn apart.

"I'll kill him…" He turned to Devi, his eyes burning with intimidation. "If you move from this spot for any reason, you'll die along with him." Releasing her, he started toward the stranger, picking up his knife from the blood covered ground. He began running toward the stranger, who had his back turned to the red-head as he continued to repeatedly stab the blonde.

Devi saw this, and shouted in an instant. "Hey! Look out! Behind you!"

--

"Behind you!"

The sound of Devi's frantic warning made Johnny turn away from his victim. He barely saw the red haired man lunging toward him when he received an excruciating punch to his eye. Dropping the knives, he reeled back in pain, clutching one side of his face with his hand. He recovered himself, and lunged toward his opponent. He aimed a swift kick, grunting in satisfaction as he felt his boot connect with the re-head's stomach.

Johnny watched as the assailant fell back to the ground, and then glanced around for his knives, but he couldn't see them in the darkness. Looking up again, he saw the red-haired man, who had regained his feet, standing over him with a knife, grinning coldly.

"Surprise."

In one fluid movement, he swung his weapon, forcing the blade into Johnny's arm. Crying out in pain, Johnny delivered a counter attack; a heavy blow to the head. But the man dodged the punch, and, acting swiftly, grabbed Johnny by is shirt and threw him into the wall of the alley.

Johnny roared with pain as he felt an agonizing pain as the back of his head connected with the brick wall. With is vision beginning to swim, he fell to the ground.

--

The red-head looked down at the stranger, who was now sprawled out in the alley. He circled the thin man, laughing sickeningly.

"Good try," he chuckled. "Good try. But I'm afraid, not good enough." With that, he kicked the stranger sharply in the ribs. A twisted smile appeared on his face as he heard the stranger cry out in suffering. Then he turned to Devi, still smiling shrewdly. She had been cowering there the entire time, and he laughed at her fear.

"Now, my dear," he said maliciously. "It's your turn."

He brought the knife up over his head, preparing to strike. Devi's eyes darted around for an escape route, but there was no way out this time. The red-head was poised to plunge the knife into Devi's flesh.

Then, gasping, he paused.

He stood stock still for a few seconds, shaking. The knife fell from his grasp. His eyes widened, and blood began to trickle from his mouth. Then, he fell, dead to the ground.

Devi looked up, and there, in front of her, panting heavily, stood the stranger. His face was still in shadow, and he carried a bloodied knife in each hand.

Suddenly, he stumbled backwards, groaning in pain. There was a metallic clanging sound as the knives slid from his grasp and hit the pavement below. He put a hand to his side, and continued to stagger backward until his back came into contact with the wall. He leaned against it, panting and coughing. His knees buckled, and he collapsed into a sitting position. Sighing, he bowed his head, and became still.

Devi forced herself onto her feet, and dashed to the stranger's side. She looked at him closely, and saw that he shivering and still breathing. But he made no other movements.

Kneeling in front of him, she addressed him softly. "H-hello? Can you hear me? Hello?"

He groaned in response. Devi slid her hand under his chin, and gently lifted his head. As she did, his face was exposed to the dim light.

What she saw made her reel back in terror.

The unconscious man in front of her was Johnny C.


	3. Reluctant Samaritan

_Heh, it's been a while, huh? High School is hectic…The only reason I'm writing this now is because I'm home sick. Wow. I only have time to write when I have the flu… Sad, isn't it?_

_Thank you again to all who reviewed, and for the constructive criticism. I really appreciate it, guys! Okay, enough of that, here's chapter three!_

--

It was _him… _

Devi could only stare. She couldn't think. She could only gaze at Johnny's motionless form. She tried to clear her head, to think properly. Months ago, Johnny had attempted to take her life. But he had stopped those men from attacking her.

He had _saved_ her…

But he tried to _kill_ her before…

These two thoughts buzzed around her head. She didn't know what to do. What could she do? Staring at him wasn't helping. His face was contorted in pain. He seemed to be begging for help, even though he was unconscious. Devi turned away, looking at her surroundings. It was still raining hard. On the ground lay the bodies of her attackers. If Johnny hadn't stopped them, who knew what they could have done to her…

Devi was torn two ways. Half of her wanted to help him, and the other half of her wanted to leave him there.

_Could you actually leave him here to die?_

"_He'd deserve it_," Devi silently answered herself.

_But he saved you._

"_So? He tried to kill me!_"

_That was a long time ago. Help him. You know you should._

"_But… But…agghh! Damn you!"_

Devi looked at Johnny again, and her expression softened. "This is pathetic," she said aloud, sighing. "I can't even win an internal argument…" She kneeled beside the fallen man, and, hesitantly, reached over to him. Her hand came to rest on his shoulder. She shook him gently.

"Johnny? Johnny, can you hear me?"

No answer. Devi growled to herself. He wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. What was she supposed to do now? Drag him home with her?

_Actually, that's not a bad idea…_

"_What! NO!" _she objected.

_Oh, lighten up. You don't want him to die, do you?_

There was a pause.

"_I hate you…_" Devi cursed her own mind.

Devi poked her head out of the alleyway, making sure no one was around. After she was sure that nobody would see her, she took the two knives that Johnny had dropped and hid them in the pockets of her coat. She knew that they shouldn't be left here as evidence. Then she gazed at Johnny again, and sighed angrily to herself.

"What the fuck am I getting myself into…?"

Devi pulled Johnny's form off the ground, and over her shoulders. She paused as she heard a groan escape his lips, then continued to settle as much of his weight has she could onto her shoulders. She was amazed at how light he was. But, after all, he was a thin man, and it would be much easier to carry him.

She began walking down the street, slowly at first. Her pace gradually became faster as she walked. As Devi carried Johnny through the rain, she could feel him shivering terribly. His breathing sounded pained and shallow, and every so often he would groan or whimper in pain. Devi stopped walking for a moment and turned her head to look at him. His eyes were still tightly closed and blood and sweat dripped down his face.

Devi quickened her pace, urgent to get him out of the rain.

--

After what seemed like hours, Devi finally came to a stop at the entrance to her apartment building. After fumbling around her pockets for her keys, she opened the door and walked inside. She closed the door as quietly as she could, and looked around the dirty hallway, blinking in the sudden darkness. When her eyes adjusted to the dark she set Johnny down, softly, against the wall next to the elevator. She was about to press the button for the seventh floor when her emerald eyes caught sight of a sign on the elevator doors.

_Temporarily out of order. Please use stairs._

"Goddamnit!" Devi yelled, giving the metal doors a swift kick with her boot. She ran a hand over her forehead, trying to think. Turning her head she looked over at the far end of the hall, where the stairs where located, then back at Johnny.

"Shit…" she sighed as she settled Johnny on her shoulders again. Devi shuffled down the hall and looked up at the shadowy, cold stairwell.

This was going to take a while.

--

The door to Devi's apartment swung open, letting in the dim light of the hallway. Panting, she stumbled into her living room dragging Johnny in with her. She set him down on her sofa and locked the door. She ran a hand along the wall, seeking the light switch. A second later she felt the little knob between her fingers, and flicked it on. Light flooded the small living space.

Quickly, Devi took off her coat, threw it into her closet, not even bothering to hang it on the usual hook. She rushed back across the room, and looked down at Johnny again. He hadn't stopped trembling with cold, and Devi could see that his clothes were drenched. Carefully, she removed his trench coat and his boots. She noticed that, even beneath his coat, his clothes were still damp. No wonder why he was shivering. He was soaked to the bone.

As gingerly as she could, Devi took off his tattered black shirt, and gasped at what she saw. He was covered with bruises and cuts from the fight in the alley. He had a deep gash on his upper right arm from where the attacker's blade had slashed him. The left side of his ribcage had a huge mark from where he had been kicked. Devi ran her hand softly along his ribs, but could feel no broken bones.

But what worried her most was how thin he was. She could see nearly every bone poking out from under his skin. Devi felt a new wave of worry wash over her. She knew he had always been skinny, but he seemed much sicklier than the last time she saw him.

"Oh, Nny," she whispered, brushing a few bangs away from his face. "Johnny, what happened to you…?"

As her fingers came into contact with his forehead, Devi could feel the beads of sweat and blood and rain that were streaming down his face. She also realized how warm his skin felt. Curious, she pressed her palm to his brow.

He was burning up.

"Oh God." Devi stepped back from him, now even more uncertain of what to do. "Oh God, oh God, oh God…" she repeated, pacing about the floor.

She needed to help him. But what could she do? She didn't have any medical training or anything like that. Devi looked back at him again, her eyes filled with concern. After a moment, she hurried over to the sofa and carried him into her bedroom.

Devi laid him down on her bed, and headed off to her bathroom. She returned with white linen bandages, bactine, and a cloth, wet with cold water. She cleaned the gash on his arm and wrapped it tight with the bandages. Then she wiped the blood and sweat off his face, and pulled a few blankets over him. Johnny immediately curled up under them, unconsciously seeking warmth, something he never would have done if he was awake.

Devi continued to dab his forehead with the wet cloth until she saw Johnny begin to relax. Soon he appeared to be in a peaceful sleep. Devi sighed with relief, and looked over at her clock on her nightstand.

It was 3:00 am.

Yawning, Devi walked to her closet, and pulled out an extra pillow and blanket. She set them on the floor beside her bed, and, after making sure Johnny was comfortable, she lay down and fell asleep.

_--_

_Aha! Done with chappie three! Yaay! I feel somewhat better now. Anyhowl, Nny finally wakes up in the next chapter, and I should have that one up soon. _

_Remember to review!_


	4. Awakening

_Okay ya'll, next chapter! WHEEE! Okay, I'll shut up now…_

--

The soft "pitter-patter" of rain hitting against the surface of a window reached Johnny's ears. He whimpered quietly as he gradually regained consciousness, beginning to feel the pain of his wounds. His head was hurting, worse than it had been before. He felt weak and sore all over, as if he had crashed into a brick wall. He shivered, still feeling cold and feverish. His eyes slid open, revealing cloudy, dark brown irises.

Johnny winced as the dim light of the morning poured into his eyes. The world was spinning around him, and everything seemed blurry and distorted. Through the haze, he realized he was laying on something warm and soft, and something equally soft covering most of his body. A bed, perhaps? He felt confusion and fear surge in his mind.

_Wha… what happened_...he wondered, almost too weak to think. _Where am I? How did I get here…?_

He let his eyes close again, trying to remember what had happened. Slowly, bits and fragments of what had happened became clearer. Rain, cold wind… Three attackers… pain… Devi…

_Devi! Was she allright?_

Johnny tried to sit up, but was a sudden pain erupted in his side. A scream sounded from his lips, and he sank back down onto the bed. His eyes clamped shut, and he gritted his teeth in agony.

Devi's eyes flew open. She had heard his screech of pain. Her body became ridged with fear.

_Oh God,_ she thought. _He's awake…_

Devi sat up, and hauled herself onto her feet, feeling stiff from sleeping on the floor. She looked over to her bed. Johnny was writhing in pain, tangled up in the blankets. Cautiously, she reached out with her hand and felt his forehead. He still had a fever, but at least he was awake now.

"Johnny? Can you hear me?"

Johnny's eyes opened. Through his fuzzy vision, he could just make out the shape of someone standing over him.

"D…Devi…" he said weakly, his voice even more hoarse than it usually was. "Is… is that you? Where am I…?"

Devi frowned with worry as she watched him. His voice was so fragile that she could hardly believe it came from such a violent person.

"You're in my apartment," she answered. "I dragged you here after you passed out."

Johnny felt his eyes widen. Devi dragged him here? She had helped him? But…why? Didn't she hate him? Questions filled Johnny's mind, but he had to stop thinking about it. His head hurt too much. Wincing in pain, he tried to sit up again.

"Don't try to move. You're hurt, and you're burning up too. You need to rest."

"I…I'm fine," he said, coughing a bit. Devi rolled her eyes, annoyed at how stubborn he was.

"Oh yeah, sure," she said, sarcasm heavy in her voice. "You sound just fine. Hell, why don't you just leave right now? You don't need my help."

Johnny glared up at her, but his stare softened. With an exhausted sigh, he collapsed back onto the pillow. He knew he couldn't argue with her. "Fine," he whispered. "You win…"

Devi pulled the blankets over Johnny again, making sure he would be warm. Johnny felt uncomfortable with her being so close to him, but he kept silent. As Devi began walked to the door, he watched her, savoring every moment. He had missed her so much. Now, here she was, caring for him. Johnny could tell that she was still afraid of him, but it didn't really matter. At least he could talk to her now. Maybe… maybe he could patch things up with her.

"Try and get some sleep," Devi said as she walked out. "And if you need anything, just call."

Johnny lifted his head. "Wait, Devi…?"

She paused, and looked back.

"Umm…" Johnny wanted to thank her, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it. He sighed. "Never mind… forget it…"

Devi simply nodded and walked out of the room. Johnny sighed again as he watched her go.

"Damnit," he muttered to himself. Johnny settled back down, trying to fight off sleep. As the minutes passed, he felt more and more fatigued, and his eyelids felt heavier. Finally, he gave in. He let his body become limp, and his eyes closed as sleep took him.

But he couldn't help but wonder… Why did Devi want to help him?

--

_Gyaaahhh! That came out terrible. Oh well, it's past midnight, and I'm tired. So, Nny's finally awake! Wheee! cough cough Shit, I need some sleep. I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving._

_The next chapter will be better, I promise!_


	5. An Apology

_Thanks to all my reviewers_. _I apologize for the long wait. With the rush of the depressing holidays of doom and a severe case of writers block, I haven't had the chance to write in a while_. _I have some lyrics in this chapter by Simon and Garfunkel. Never heard of 'em? Then listen to them, those guys are brilliant!_

_And you probably noticed that I changed my pen name to "PhantomVarg" Just so you know, 'varg' is the word for 'wolf' in the awesome book, "The Sight" by David-Clement Davies._

_Allright, enough of that.._

--

"Damnit," Devi cursed herself under her breath. She had been sitting on her couch for the past few hours, trying to contemplate exactly why she was helping Johnny. In the corner of her living room was an old easel, surrounded by newspapers and adorned with an unfinished painting. Next to it, an old radio was playing an oldie's station. The song was soft, and the notes floated around the room.

"_Are you going to Scarborough Fair_

_Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme_

_Remember me to one who lives there_

_She once was a true love of mine…"_

_Shit, Devi_, she thought, ignoring the song. _Why the hell did you drag him here!_

Sighing to herself for what seemed like the thousandth time that day, Devi shook her head slowly. She got up, walked into the kitchen and filled a glass of water. Then she peered into her room. Johnny was lying silently on her bed. Except for his breathing, he seemed to make no other movements. As quietly as she could, Devi walked in to get a better look. She was astonished at what she saw.

Johnny was fast asleep, curled up on his side like a small child. His injured arm was protruding from the blankets, but the rest of his body was snuggled warmly under them. His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were gently closed. Though he would twitch or whimper in his sleep once in a while, he did not wake. He seemed almost… peaceful, innocent, even.

Devi approached the bedside quietly, and set the glass of water on her nightstand. She pulled a small chair from under it and sat down. For the next few minutes, she watched Johnny's chest rise and fall as he breathed. _He must've been sleeping all this time_, she thought. _Funny, I thought he hated sleeping…_

She was jerked from her thoughts as Johnny stirred suddenly in his sleep and gave a small groan. The sound of it made Devi jump slightly. Although he was wounded and weak, Devi felt somewhat fearful of him. She regained her composure and continued to watch him. She noticed that he had started to tremble again. It wasn't the violent shivering he had experienced before, but the quaking of a person who is dreaming deeply. Another whimper escaped his mouth, and Devi began to wonder what he was dreaming of…

--

"_I really enjoyed tonight, Nny. Really, we should've gone out sooner! Why didn't we do this sooner? I mean, we've known each other for, what, about three months now? And this is the first time we've ever been out together! What would you have done if I had never asked you out?"_

"_I would have been happy just to go to the bookstore and see you there. I always like doing that."_

_He had dreamt this before. It was the night of his date with Devi. Johnny hardly slept, but, when he did, he would almost always dream of this moment in time. It was the first time he had ever cared for someone so deeply. Sometimes, it would give him comfort, but other times…_

"_But you have to admit," Devi went on, "tonight was fun. The conversation, the movie, and that view! Looking down on all the people who deserve to be looked down on. Fun!"_

"_Yeah, it was very nice, completely. I love Brazil, Gilliam is God." He paused, getting off his couch and turning away from Devi. "Umm…Devi?"_

…_other times, Devi wouldn't get away in time. _

--

Johnny gave another shudder, muttering something incoherently. Devi looked up from the book she had been reading, and glanced over at him. He didn't seem to be feeling too well. He was shivering again, and he had begun to sweat a bit. She continued to watch him with worried eyes.

--

"_It's simple; I like you. I enjoy our talks, when you come to visit me at the bookstore… I like you for all those reasons people ask a person out for. There, I've said my thing, now I just hope your thoughts run along the same lines. If not, then I'll just get awkward, and leave, quietly…after killing you."_

_They looked at each other in silence, and then burst into hysterical laughter. When he could finally breathe again, Johnny sat back on the couch, and gave a deep, contented sigh._

"_Yeah…" he said. "This is strange. What do I say? You are beautiful. I mean… God, I'm so completely happy right now. You've made me happy."_

_Devi smiled, and, slowly, began to inch forward. "Good," she whispered. "Then let's both be happy…"_

_She moved her face closer to his, and Johnny began to shut his eyes. He felt her nose brush against his own, their lips about to meet…_

"_Yes!" Johnny's eyes flew open abruptly. He bolted off the couch, and walked into his bedroom. "Yes! Happiness! I'm happy!"_

"_Nny! Where are you going! Nny!"_

_He slammed the door behind him, blocking out Devi's calls._

_--_

"Devi…" Johnny whispered her name as he dreamt. He was shaking uncontrollably, and his long, claw-like fingers clutched the blankets. Devi couldn't stand seeing him like this any longer. She began to shake his shoulders gently, trying to rouse him.

"Johnny? Johnny, wake up."

--

"_But decay soon follows. A degeneration into the tired old situation. The rot sets in. This way, there is only the beauty of the start!" he said, blades in hand._

"_Shit! Stay away!" Devi screamed. She grabbed the doorknob and tried desperately to turn it, only to find that it was locked. "I'm leaving, and I don't want you coming near me!"_

_Still, Johnny continued his approach. "I can't let you leave, Devi. I want you, always, in my mind. Happiness is such a rare thing." He brought the blades closer to his face, and a maddened, smiled twisted onto his face._

"_I can't recall a bad memory for any of the others," he continued. "They were all beautiful! All of them! And now you!"_

_Devi's eyes became huge with terror. "Them! God, how many! Oh, fuck! Get the hell away from me! Don't touch me!"_

"_Please," Johnny said, almost kindly, "be silent, before you say something to spoil the mood."_

_With that, he charged toward the terrified woman. Johnny lifted his blades high, ready to kill. Closer and closer he came, and then…_

--

Johnny's eyes flew open with a loud gasp. He sat up suddenly, panting heavily and wondering where he was. He surveyed his surroundings, and found Devi staring at him worryingly.

"Are you all right?" she asked..

"A dream…" Johnny said weakly. "It was only… a dream…"

He blinked, realizing that his vision was no longer blurry. His head was no longer aching, though he still felt a dull pain along is ribs and left arm. He glanced at his arm, and saw that it was wrapped with a white bandage, which was slightly stained with blood. He looked over the rest of his body. He winced as he saw a huge bruise along his side, and he vaguely recalled being kicked during the fight. He also realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"You're sure you're okay?" she asked again, noticing the bewildered look on his face.

"Yes… yes, I'm fine. It was only a dream…" He gazed up at Devi, getting his first good look at her since the last time he saw her. Her hair was no short and black. It was longer than before, dyed a dark purple color and held into two long pigtails on the top of her head. But she still had the same pale skin, the same beautiful face, and those defiant, emerald eyes. Except for her hair, Devi hadn't changed at all. Johnny became lost in his thoughts as he stared at her.

"What are you staring at?" Devi asked, lifting an eyebrow in slight annoyance.

Johnny broke from his trance. "Oh, sorry. I just noticed that your hair is different. I like it."

Devi smiled weakly, running a finger through one of her pigtails. "Oh… thanks."

There was an uneasy pause, and silence descended upon them. Both of them had no idea what to say to each other. It seemed like an eternity until one of them, finally, broke the silence.

"Umm…here, let me check your arm," Devi said, walking over to the bedside. "It was cut up pretty badly."

"Yeah, I noticed," Johnny said as Devi began to unwrap the bloodstained linen. He winced as she cleaned the wound with stinging disinfectant. Johnny looked up at Devi, guilt in his dark brown eyes.

"Devi… I owe you an apology."

Devi looked up at him, recalling their phone conversation from long ago. "We've been through this before, remember?"

"I know," Johnny said, sighing harshly. "But… I feel that I still need to say this…" He trailed off. Devi finished wrapping the bandage and walked to the other side of the bed. She kept her back turned to him, trying to ignore him.

"I know there's a good chance you won't accept this, and I admit that the last time I tried was, well, idiotic of me. But, I need you to know this now… I'm truly sorry for what I almost did to you."

Slowly, Devi turned to him, staring at him with narrowed eyes. "Damnit, Johnny! You can't just forgive someone who tried to fucking kill you! You tried to _kill _me! Why should I accept your apology!"

Johnny recoiled slightly at her outburst, but he continued as sincerely as before. "Devi, that night, things went out of my hands. I had no control over myself. But… I've changed. And I want you to know that I'd _never_ try to harm you, in _any_ way, ever again. I want us to start over… as friends."

"Friends?" Devi looked at him in confusion. Was a friendship between them even possible anymore?

"Please, Devi. I…" he closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, they were filled emotion. "I don't want you out of my life."

Silence reared its ugly head once more. Devi and Johnny stared at one another, studying each other's eyes. Devi's green eyes were glittering with confusion and anger, while Johnny's dark irises were wide and pleading. Devi knew that he meant every word that he said, and she slowly found herself believing his words. Her hard expression softened, and melted into a soft smile.

She approached Johnny quietly, and to his surprise, grasped his hand. Johnny's eyes widened in shock, but he gently grasped her hand in his own, unconsciously shaking it as Devi shook his own hand.

"Apology accepted."

--

_DONE! FINALLY! WHEE! My God, I love the way this came out! YEEHEEHAWHAWHAW! Umm... Okay I'll stop now._

_So, Devi and Nny have reconciled. Aww… how cute! And I have no idea what to write next… so if any of you have any suggestions, say so._


	6. Conversations and Questions

_Sorry for the long wait. Real life…overpowering… So…stressed…_

_You might wanna read Jhonen's other work "I feel sick", since Devi thinks about what happened during the comic…blah blah_

_JtHM © Mr. Scolex_

--

Johnny opened his eyes slowly, groaning softly as sleep departed from him. He lay there for a while, waiting for the usual confusion of awakening to pass. He sighed as he remembered his apology. Devi had said that she had accepted it, and they even shook hands on it. He shivered slightly as he remembered how she had intertwined his cold, claw-like fingers with her own, and he began to wonder if it had all been a dream. But more memories came to him, images of what had happened after that moment.

He remembered how they had sat in silence, unsure of what to say. After a few moments they began to reminisce about how they first met. They found themselves talking like they often did in the past, though they were a little more reserved in their words. Johnny guessed that he must've drifted off while they were talking.

He sat up slowly, his side still painful where he had been kicked, and glanced around the room. The gray light of day was pouring through the blinds on the window, and the faint sound of tapping on a glass surface told him that it was still raining. He saw his tattered black shirt, dry and folded, resting on the nightstand. He smiled, grateful that he would have something to cover up his boney frame. He slipped it on, and planted both feet on the floor.

He suddenly felt a little dizzy as he stood, and he cursed himself for lying down for so long. But the sensation cleared, and he began to walk, slowly, down the small hallway. He passed a small mirror hanging on the wall, and peered into it. His hair was ruffled more that it usually was, and he had a few scratches on one side of his face. The flesh around his left eye was bruised and somewhat swollen. He sighed to himself, and continued to limp down the hall.

When Johnny came into the small living room, he stopped, expecting to see Devi asleep on her couch. Instead, she was standing at her easel in the corner, painting. Johnny watched as she expertly added small drops of paint to the canvas, using their raw beauty to create an image with the brush.

He leaned against the wall, smiling softly, and remembering how he used to paint like that…

--

Devi dipped the small brush in a jar of dark green paint. She made short, bold strokes, creating the likeness of grass blowing softly in the wind. She seldom painted landscapes, and when she did, they never turned out the way she wanted. But now she smiled to herself. This one was coming along nicely.

She heard a short, rasping cough behind her, and turned around. She saw Johnny leaning against the wall, smiling almost sadly.

"Oh," Devi gasped, slightly surprised but glad to seem him up and walking, "You're awake."

"Heh, so it would seem," he paused, and began walking over to her. "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours," she replied, glancing at him. His dark eyes where still clouded with fever, but he seemed much better than before. "You needed the rest, though. Can I get you anything?"

"No, no," he said, taking a seat on the sofa. "I'm fine. Thanks, though."

Devi sat beside him, and gently pressed her palm to his forehead. Johnny tensed slightly. _She must still be worried_, he thought. _I never thought she would care so much…_

"You still feel a little warm…the fight and all that rain took a lot out of you."

"I'm fine, I promise."

Devi got up and looked at him disbelievingly. "At least lay down while I clean up my paints. I don't want you getting any worse."

Johnny couldn't help but chuckle at the seriousness in Devi's voice. "You know," he said, lying on his back, "you'd make a good nurse."

She laughed in response. "Nah… I'm an artist, not a doctor." She dipped her brushes in a jar half filled with water, swishing them around to clean the bristles. "I don't even know how I knew what to do when I dragged you here. It must've been pure instinct, I guess."

He gave a few coughs, and said, "Well, whatever you did, instinct or not, it helped." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Maybe you learned it from your mother?"

"I highly doubt that," she said, keeping her back turned to him as she began drying her brushes.

"Why is that?" Johnny asked, suddenly curious.

"Because…" Devi sighed, "she died when I was three."

His eyes widened. "Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

The green-eyed girl shrugged. "Nothin' to be sorry about. But you're probably right. Maybe I picked it up from her without knowing it."

Silence filled the room once more as Devi finished cleaning her painting area. When she was finished she took a seat beside Johnny. The silence was almost deafening, until Devi broke the stillness.

"Why did you save me?"

The question was so straightforward that Johnny was almost taken aback. She wasn't making any eye contact with him, but her voice was strong. He cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"

Devi gave a harsh sigh. "I just don't understand it… first you try to kill me, and then you save me from being murdered by a bunch of thugs."

Johnny followed her with his gaze as she got up and began pacing along the floor.

"I mean… I think I know what came over you that night, but I… I'm not sure." She was thinking of her painting of that little doll, dubbed "Sickness", the painting that had taken on a life of it's own to control her mind. During a meeting with her ex-boss, Mr. Nevers, Devi recalled something that the doll had told her.

"_Your friend thought he could fight, too. And he ended up…introducing us to you…"_

What Sickness had said echoed through her mind thought the meeting, and soon she wasn't even paying attention to what Mr. Nevers was saying. Her eyes had lost all focus as she realized that Johnny had been affected by the same supernatural force that she had. Unlike Johnny, she had stopped it before she lost control.

But Devi had no time to recall this moment in time. She shook her head, her back still turned to him, and continued. "Johnny, I just want to know exactly why you saved me last night."

Johnny looked away, and scratched the back of his neck as he tried to think of an answer. "You didn't deserve to die like that. What else was I supposed to do? Watch as those fucks killed you?"

Devi stopped pacing and closed her eyes. She suddenly felt a pair of cold, skeletal fingers grasp her own. She opened her eyes. Johnny was holding her hands, his eyes blazing with nervous sincerity.

"Devi… no matter what I tried to do to you in the past… doesn't matter now. I would _never_ let you suffer like that, no matter how much you hate me."

Devi managed to form a small smile on her lips.

"Now," Johnny said slowly letting go of her hands, "I have a question for you."

"Al-all right," she said, though his last statement still fresh in her brain. "What is it?"

"Why did _you_ help me? I know it wasn't a simple return of a favor."

She cleared her throat a little. "I… I honestly don't know. I guess…I guess deep down, I didn't have the heart to leave you back in that alley."

Now it was Johnny's turn to smile. They stood in silence for a while, unsure of what to say. Johnny hacked out a few sudden coughs, and Devi looked up, plainly worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" he answered his voice raspy. He walked over to the couch and sat down heavily. Then he coughed again and continued speaking. "I'll be fine. I'm just… tired, that's all…"

Devi sat next to him, and Johnny found himself leaning his head against the back of the sofa as his fatigue grew. He closed his eyes, and spoke softly. "Thanks, Devi… for everything."

"Anytime, Nny."

He smiled weakly. "Devi?"

"What?"

"You called me 'Nny'…"

--

_Awww... is that cute or what! Devi and Nny are getting a little closer now. (sighs) Just in time, too, since there's only three more hours left of Valentine's Day. But don't get me wrong. I HATE this holiday._

_Tenna's gonna appear in the next chapter, in honor of my buddy Tony. I swear, he's Tenna in guy form. He even has a Spooky Squeak toy! I ENVY HIM!_

_Oh, and Squee is gonna show up sooner or later. I love that little guy._

_Don't forget to review!_


	7. Talk to Spooky!

_Hello, everyone. Sorry for the long wait. My life is so…cluttered. This chapter is dedicated to my buddy, Tony. Why? Because he loves Tenna, and he even has a Spooky squeak toy. I envy him…_

_JtHM © Jhonen Vasquez_

--

"_You think that if you stopped doing something that defined you as a person, that maybe, you'd cease to be that person?"_

"_I dunno. That's a lot of 'that's."_

_They were at the city overlook, sitting on the roof of Johnny's car. Both were engaged in a conversation about their art. They kept their eyes off one another, keeping their gaze of the scenery below them. Though the electric lights of the city swallowed up most of the view, some stars were still visible. A bright full moon hung low in the sky, casting its shine on the far off mountains in the horizon. It was hard to take one's eyes off it, but Devi's reply tore Johnny away from it. He sighed, and turned his head to her. _

"_No, come on. I'm being serious."_

"_Okay, sorry," Devi replied. "Serious time begins… now! Okay, if I have this right. What your describing isn't so much of a creative block, as it is a creative re-routing."_

"_Oooh…" she said, turning his head back to the view as he thought it over. "I like that."_

"_So… where is it being re-routed to?" _

_Johnny didn't answer._

--

"Hey! Devi, you in there?"

Devi groaned as her eyes fluttered open and the dream faded away. She listened for a moment, wondering if she had imagined someone calling her name. She sighed, and closed her eyes, drifting off again…

"Devi! I _know_ you're in there!" There was a squeaking sound, then more yelling and knocking on the door. "C'mon, get up! Even Spooky knows you're there!"

_Ugh… Tenna_, she thought, growling as she pulled herself off the couch. Johnny was sitting limply on the other side of it, his head tilted to one side as it rested on the cushions. He was asleep.

There was another knock. Devi walked hastily to her door, unlocked it, and opened it a crack. A black and white squeak toy, resembling a skeleton, was right outside the door, only a few inches away from her face. The hand holding it gave it another squeak as Devi opened the door a little farther, and stuck her head through the opening. Tenna was standing there, holding her squeak toy (which she called "Spooky") and grinning from ear to ear. She was an energetic African American girl, with spiky hair and big jade colored eyes. She and Devi had been friends since they started school together. But, unlike Devi, Tenna had not shed her child-like ways.

"Ha! We knew you were here, didn't we, Spooky?" she laughed, clutching the doll a little tighter.

"Hi, Tenna," Devi said, slightly annoyed. "What's up?"

"Same old shit, like always. We haven't seen you in forever! Where have you been?" She paused, studying her friend for a moment. "You okay? You look tired."

"Yeah, I've been…" she yawned sleepily, "busy lately."

"Do you wanna go out?" she asked enthusiastically. "Spooky does! We haven't gone out together in a long time! They just opened a new China Buffet downtown. We should try it out!" She ended by giving Spooky a loud squeak.

Devi turned her gaze behind her, back to Johnny's motionless body. He groaned softly, and stirred a bit, waking slowly. Devi turned her eyes back to Tenna.

"Erm… I can't. I still have a lot to do, ya know? So… maybe later." She attempted to close the door, but Tenna blocked her way as she strolled into the apartment.

"Oh, c'mon Dev'! You can't stay cooped up in there like a hermit! We won't be gone too long! Then you can…" she trailed off as she saw Johnny lying on the sofa. There was pause, and then she spoke up. "Who is _that_?"

Devi's face dropped, and she chuckled nervously. "Who's who?"

"Him! The spooky dude in black!" she said, pointing to him. "Don't play dumb! You know who I'm talking about!"

She was silenced as Johnny groaned again. His eyes slid open, but closed tightly as he coughed painfully a few times. Muttering to himself, he opened his eyes again, groggily at first, but snapping them open as he saw Tenna gawking at him. He cleared his throat, and spoke in a slightly raspy voice.

"Umm… hello?"

Tenna didn't answer, and turned back to Devi, waiting for her to speak.

Devi gave a harsh sigh. "Tenna, this is Nny…er, Johnny. Johnny, this is Tenna."

"Wait, wait, wait." Tenna said, a little disbelievingly. "You mean to tell me, that _this_ is the same 'Nny' guy who tried to kill you last year?"

Devi felt as if her face went bright red for a moment. She opened her mouth to say something, but Johnny cut her off.

"Yes… I'm the same guy," he said, his eyes flashing with guilt. "But that was a long time ago."

"What are you doing here! I swear, if you try to kill my buddy again, I'll get all crazy on you!" she said defensively, snarling and taking a karate-like fight stance. She held Spooky above her head, and squeaked it threateningly. Johnny raised an eyebrow as he watched her. Devi rolled her eyes.

"Jesus Tenn'!" she said. "He's not out to kill me! Calm down, will you!"

"Then tell me what he's doing here!"

"Alright! Fine!"

As Devi and Johnny explained what happened, Tenna listened intently, clutching Spooky close to her. Johnny told of how he fought off Devi's assailants, while Devi spoke of how she had dragged him back to her apartment. Both were blushing slightly and avoiding eye contact with one another. Tenna smirked as she saw this.

"So he's staying here until he heals a little. Nothing big," Devi said, ending the re-account of that night's events.

"Ohhh, okay…" Tenna paused for a moment, thinking. Then she gave a high-pitched squeal, and enveloped Johnny in a bear hug. Johnny cried out as he felt her squeeze his bruised body in her arms. He could hardly breathe and his aching ribs throbbed with vicious pain, but he clenched his teeth and bore it.

"Oh, you were so brave!" Tenna said. "You saved my best friend! How can I ever repay you!" She held him tighter, and Johnny shut his eyes and whimpered in pain.

"By…letting go of me," he gasped. "You're hurting… my ribs."

"Oh…sorry, sorry!" She apologized and released his battered form from her arms. Johnny sighed gratefully as the pain in his ribs started to fade. Devi cracked a smile on her lips as Johnny gave Tenna a slight glare.

"Here, this'll make you feel better." Tenna held out her squeak toy, and grinned. "Talk to Spooky!"

Johnny blinked at the little rubber skeleton, held out only a few centimeters away from his nose. He wished he could take out one of his knives and silence its annoying squeaking for eternity. But he pushed the thought away.

"Umm, hi…Spooky." He said hesitantly. Then he looked at Devi, silently asking for an explanation.

Devi rolled her eyes. "She's had that thing her whole life. She wouldn't get rid of it even if the fate of the world depended on it."

Johnny chuckled a little. Devi did the same. Their eyes met, and they quickly averted their eyes from one another. Tenna stared at both of them for a moment, and then addressed her friend.

"Devi, can I talk you, for a second?" Before Devi could reply, she grabbed her by the arm, dragging her into the hall outside the apartment. "S'cuse us, for a sec," she said to Johnny, closing the door.

They stood in silence for a minute. Tenna was smiling broadly, giggling. Devi raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"You-" she giggled again. "You _like_ him, don't you?"

Devi's eyes widened. "What!"

"Hee! I can tell you like him," Tenna said, her voice shaking from laughing.

"I do not! I mean, yeah, I like him as a friend. But not in… _that_ way!"

"Dev', girl, I saw the way you two acted around each other. He obviously still _likes_ you, and it's obvious that you _like_ him in the same way."

Devi growled, trying to say something. All she could do was stutter angrily. Tenna simply nodded her head, smiling.

"Mhhmm, sure. Well, we'd," she gave Spooky another squeak, "better be going. Good luck with Nny." She giggled again and disappeared down the hall. Devi snorted in annoyance and entered her apartment, shutting the door behind her.

"Well, she was…interesting," Johnny said, trying to break the silence.

"Heh, you don't know the half of it," Devi replied, sitting beside Johnny. "She's nice though, once you get to know her."

"And her 'little friend' was…" He trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Repulsively annoying?"

"Yeah, that would describe it." He said. Then he added, mischievously, "I should've sneezed on it when I had the chance."

Devi laughed a little at the thought of it, then her face grew more serious. "Are your ribs okay?"

"Yeah, not too much pain now," he said, wincing as he ran a hand over his bruised side. "Fuck, that girl sure has a tight grip."

"Are you feeling any better? I mean, besides your ribs."

Johnny scratched the back of his neck as he spoke. "Actually, I am. In fact…" he got up off the couch, and turned to her. "I think I'm well enough to…take my leave."

Devi rose, approaching him slowly. "Are- are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm feeling fine now, thanks to you. And besides, I've taken enough of your time already, Devi."

Johnny began walking toward the door, but something stopped him. Devi's hand was resting on his shoulder. He forced himself to look her in the face. When he did, he saw that her green eyes were filled with an unreadable emotion. She opened her mouth to speak, and nearly closed it again.

"I…" she swallowed nervously. "I want you stay here. For one more night."_ What am I doing? Am I insane?_ She asked herself silently.

Johnny looked back at her, confusion in his eyes. "Why?"

"I- I just…" She paused, sighing. "Nny, I need to know if you're okay."

"Of course I'm..." He paused, fighting off another cough. "Of course I'm okay."

"I just want to make sure," she said persistently. "Just one more night, then you can leave tomorrow."

He wanted to protest, but he couldn't think of anything logical to say. They stared into each other's eyes, dark brown against emerald, arguing without a word between them. Finally, he sighed. He just couldn't defeat those defiant eyes of hers.

"Alright," he said in defeat, letting a somewhat sad smile creep across his lips. "One more night."

--

_Done! Salvation at last! I laughed when I wrote about the part with Tenna hugging Nny. The look on his face! (laughs crazily) oh, and I should probably mention that China Buffet is a real place. Tony always tries to drag me there. It's funny, really._


	8. Fallen Angel

_Chapter eight, in which some stuff happens. Written when I should have been writing a four-page essay for History. Yup, I'm willing to fail my honors class for the sake of your entertainment. I am such a nice person, no? I deserve all of your undying souls… and cookies. Lots of cookies. Preferably oatmeal raisin…_

--

The room was dark, but the distant window allowed the outside world's glow to enter, casting strange shadows on the wall. The blankets were set in a crumpled heap around his toes. He had kicked them off his torso hours ago. Heh, hours... Hours of tossing and turning. Hours of uncontrolled and unwanted thoughts careening through his mind. Hours of waiting for the dark of night to pass, for the blaze of dawn to weave across the sky.

_Tossing and turning, tossing and turning... like always. Like every night of my life that I could ever remember. Can't get comfortable... What time is it? _

These were Johnny's thoughts as he lay sprawled out on his back, his darkened gaze fixed on the ceiling. He couldn't sleep, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. No, wait. He _didn't_ want to. He _hated_ sleep.

_Ha, sleep. I despise it. Sleep is for only those who give up easily, who shut off their awareness to dream. Why should I even want, or even attempt, to dream of better things. I know my place. This is all I have…_

The thin man's contemplations were brought to a screeching halt as he remembered where he was. He wasn't in his run down hovel, were he could scream his thoughts to the world and be answered by multiple, unsubstantial voices. He was in Devi's apartment, in her warm bed, while she rested on the couch in the next room. It was his last night here. In the morning he would leave.

_What will become of us after I leave? Would we continue to talk with one another? _

Or would they simply say their 'goodbyes', and would that be the end of it?

_Could I honestly say 'farewell' so soon_...

Slowly, Johnny turned over onto his side, wincing as the bright green glare of the digital clock blinked back at him. It was 3:00 AM. A twisted smile formed on his lips as a thought came to him.

_I could leave now,_ he thought._ I should. It would be for the best. And besides…it would save both of us the trouble of parting._

Johnny rose into a sitting position, exhaling harshly as a quick bolt of pain coursed through his side. It didn't last long, and the ache seemed to be getting less intense. He guessed that the contusion was beginning to heal. He stood, hearing as well as feeling his bones grating against each other. Instantly, he became still, and silence descended one more. His eyes darted about the room. There was no sound, no movement from the next room. He sighed gratefully, and continued to scour the room with his gaze.

Something with a dull, metallic shine caught his gaze. His steel-toed boots were placed against the wall. He walked over, snatched them in his hand and fixed them onto his feet. After he had buckled them tightly, he crept down out of the bedroom. He moved slowly and noiselessly, like a great, skeletal cat, as he entered the small living room. It was dark here too, maybe even darker, but the room wasn't completely still. Johnny could hear, very faintly, the sound of Devi's breathing.

_She must be asleep. Quiet, I need to stay quiet,_ he thought, hoping that he wouldn't lapse into another coughing fit and wake her. _Damned rain-induced cold. I'd kill it if I could._

Johnny picked his way through the veil of darkness, until he had located the closet. He opened it tenderly, paused as it gave a soft creaking noise, and then reached in. Once he felt the familiar, rough fabric of his coat between his fingers, he pulled it out. It was still slightly damp on the inside of the sleeves, but he gave it no thought. Gracefully, he draped it over his back, sliding his thin arms through the sleeves. He grinned as heard the quiet 'swooshing' of the coat tails brushing against his heel. He had always loved that sound.

Unconsciously, he shoved his hands into his pockets. His eyes widened as his skin failed to touch the bitter, metal handles of his blades.

_Shit, shit!_ he screamed in his head. _My knives, where the hell are they?_

Dark brown eyes threw their gaze around every corner in the room, searching for his beloved weapons. Then he saw them. They were resting on the table beside the couch, were Devi lay. He paced over, and peered down at them for a moment. Then, swallowing nervously, he reached out with his bony fingers. They came to rest on one of the handles, and grasped it slowly. There was a scraping sound as he lifted it off the wooden surface, and he hesitated as he saw Devi stir a little. After she was still again, he put the weapon in one of the deep pockets of his coat.

_Now for the other one. _He touched the knife's handle, as tenderly as before, but froze as a tickle welled up in his chest. He was going to cough. He held his breath and clamped his teeth together as he fought it off. After a few long moments the feeling subsided, and he managed to grip the knife and place it in his pockets without a sound.

He heaved a silent sigh of relief. _That was a close one, Nny. Too close…_

Johnny found his gaze wandering to Devi. She was curled up on one corner of the couch. Her dark purple hair was not held up in two long pigtails as it usually was. Now it was free and slightly tangled, and the strands were falling gracefully over her face. All her defenses were down. Her bold green eyes were softly closed, and her reserved, slightly aggressive nature was abolished with slumber. He couldn't help but smile, but it melted into a look of worry as he continued to watch her.

She was shivering. Johnny suddenly realized that there were no blankets shielding her from the cold air in the apartment.

_She needs some blankets_, he thought. He looked at her again, and shook his head. _No, her bed would be better…_

He scratched his head a bit as he wondered if he should carry her to her room. Would that be rude of him? What if she suddenly woke up in his arms? How would she react? He continued to gaze at her, and soon his mind was made up. Even though she would probably be angry with him, Johnny couldn't leave knowing that would be Devi shivering in her sleep.

He approached her cautiously, barely daring to breathe as he stared at her. Very slowly, he slid his arms under her legs and back. Devi stirred, and he paused until she became motionless again. He watched her intently for a moment, then, in the gentlest movement his claw like fingers had ever executed, lifted her off the couch. He ignored the pain firing through the gash on his arm as he let her weight settle in his arms.

Devi murmured something softly, and rested her head against his chest, sighing contentedly. Johnny felt every drop of blood in his body rush up to his face, tinting his cheeks red. An unbelievable feeling washed over him as he looked at her. He felt nervous and sick, overjoyed and sorrowful. He felt full of regret, but peaceful as well, as though everything he had ever wanted was right in front of him. Then, quick as lightning, the feeling was gone. He stood there for a moment, hid form ridged and feeling so nervous and confused that sweat began to bead on his forehead.

_Calm down, Nny. It was nothing, _he thought,_ nothing at all. You're just distracting yourself, that's all. Now just get her into her bed and go._

Johnny carried her into her room, and delicately placed her on the bed. He pulled the blankets over Devi shoulders, and she gave another sigh and became still once more. He was about to turn away, when something on the nightstand caught his eye. A notepad and pen. With his eyes narrowing slightly, he scratched down a note, and tore off the small sheet of paper. He crumpled it up, placed it in the palm of Devi's hand, and tenderly closed her fingers around it. He watched her breathing for a moment, then, his eyes burning with longing, he turned away.

"Adieu, my dear friend. Adieu…"

--

_She was in a dark, cold place. Nothing could be seen in the veil of absolute darkness around her. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't feel her body, and wasn't sure if she was moving or not. She could hardly breathe as fear gripped her heart. _

_Then, out of nowhere, a dim, red light flickered. She squinted her eyes in confusion as she watched it. It seemed to be getting bigger, brighter. A fresh thrill of fear flew through her. It was coming closer. She begged herself to shut her eyes, but she could not, She was too engrossed by that red glow._

_As it continued to approach, the light appeared to be taking shape. She continued to stare, spellbound as the figure came to a gliding halt in from of her. It was a thin, black shadow, walking gracefully toward her. Then, she noticed that its features looked very familiar. She gasped in wonder as she saw it._

_It was a man, or at least, it looked like a man. Tall, and clothed completely in black, torn garments. His hair was wild and unkempt, and seemed to fall over a face that she could not see through the shadows. Enormous, black wings were draped over his back. They were as tattered as his clothing, maybe even more frayed than they seemed to be. They were ragged, skeletal. Soft, black feathers hung loosely from them, some fluttering into the blackness as he moved. And where there were no feathers, there were thin, cracked bones, stained crimson with dried blood. The sickly red glow clung around him like a giant robe. He was both beautiful and terrible, a hybrid of heaven and hell._

_He extended his hand to her. She wanted to run, but was completely entranced by this fallen angel. Slowly, like a sleepwalker, she drew nearer to him, and grasped his cold, bony hands with her own. A soon as they touched, a thread of warmth flowed through her. She seemed to be floating, then, before she had time to think, she found herself in his arms. He held her gently, lovingly, as a mother would hold her newborn baby. She looked up at him, confused._

"_Who are you…?" she asked in a whisper._

_The angel didn't reply. Still, she felt safe in his arms, and she rested her head on his chest. The sound of his slow, steady heartbeat echoed through her ears. Then everything, the glow, the angel, and the heartbeat, faded away into darkness…_

…_but the warmth remained._

--

Devi opened her eyes sluggishly as the dream ended. Still fatigued, she closed them again. The dream replayed through her mind. That man had looked so familiar. But she shrugged it off. It was only a dream, after all. She sighed, and snuggled herself under the blankets, thinking only of the warmth of her bed.

Wait. Her bed?

But she had fallen asleep on the couch…

Instantly, her eyes flew open and she bolted upright. The woman frantically looked around her. She was, indeed, in her bed. As she glanced around the room, she felt something in her hand, and peered down at it. It was a small sheet of paper, crumpled into a ball. Curious, she unscrambled the paper and began to read words, written neatly yet in haste, with black ink.

_My dearest Devi,_

_I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality. Even though I, regretfully, tried to kill you that night, you still came to my aid. Any other person would have left me battered and lifeless in the rain. I find your actions to be not only astonishing, but deeply moving as well. I always thought that every other person was the same, that in the end, we are all heartless in one way or another. Maybe I still think that, but you proved that there are nicer souls in the world. I wish everyone was like you. Then I wouldn't be the way I am now._

Devi smiled slightly.

_Oh, and sorry if I frightened you by carrying you to your bed. You were shivering on the couch, and I couldn't leave knowing that you were cold. I had a weird feeling when I carried you to your room. I told you long ago that I liked you immensely, remember? I still do, and I always will. Even though I can't allow myself to get close to anyone, even though out time together has passed, I will forever consider you my dearest friend. Maybe one day we'll see each other again. I would like that. Wouldn't you? Even if we do not meet again, Devi, I hope you never change. Just stay the way you are, and I'll be satisfied. I don't know what else to say, but this;_

_Goodbye, Devi._

_-Nny_

Devi leapt out of her bed, her feet pounding against the floor as fast as she could. She burst into the living room.

"Nny," she called. "Johnny, are you here?"

No answer. She checked everywhere else; the small kitchen, the bathroom, her drawing room. She looked in the closet, to find his trench coat missing. His boots were absent as well, along with his knives. Nothing, there was no trace of him. He was gone. Devi stared at the note again, rereading it frantically, over and over. A lone tear fell onto the paper, smudging Johnny's words.

Devi started to shake as she realized that the fallen angel from her dream was none other than Johnny C.

--

_Yay, done. Squee will make an appearance in the next chapter._

_I'll take my cookies now._


	9. Through the Door

_Okay, I'm back. Needed to take a break from writing for a while. I'm still recovering from the most eventful school year of my life. (dies, and resurrects) Forgive me if this chapter sucks. I'm out of practice… Ah well, let's get on with it_. _Oh, and thank you all for the cookies! (ignores the fact that she gained six pounds) Heheh, just kidding…_

--

_Dear Die-ary,_

_These past two days have been…eventful. So many thoughts have been coursing through my mind. You may remember Devi, the girl I tried to kill during our date. She kicked my ass, though. Heh, looking back on it now, it's quite funny. But I'm getting off-topic. She's back in my life again, and though I'm glad for her friendship, I'm more confused than I was before. From the moment I awoke from unconsciousness, sick and wounded and dazed, I've been wondering if Devi could ever forgive me. She was kind enough to take me in, to help me. We talked, and when I asked for her forgiveness, she gave it, but not without some understandable hesitation._

_I know she forgave me, and we're friends again. But… I felt something when I carried her to her bed last night. I don't know if I can put it into words, but I'll try. I felt safe, yet a bit uneasy, with her in my arms. It felt so right, more than I felt with on the night of our date. But I seriously doubt that I'm actually capable of feeling this way for long, before I snap again. Like last time…_

_Some say this feeling is nothing but hormones, something that we misinterpret as complex emotions. That it's just a thing of fairy tales, and nothing for the real world. But if it does, indeed, truly exist…_

…_I doubt she'll accept me in that way._

Sighing harshly, Johnny put the pen down and closed the black, bloodstained journal in his hands. He closed his eyes and let his head hang for a moment. The cold wind stroked his hair with icy coldness, and he shivered.

_Shit_, he thought, _My head's hurting again. Why did I come up here?_

He opened his eyes again, sluggishly. When he left Devi's apartment, he had wandered to his house, grabbed his "Die-ary", and walked to the hill on the outskirts of town. He was always drawn to that place. Watching the stars and the city lights helped him to think when he was troubled. But now he just gazed at the sky, breaking with light as the sun began to peak over the mountainous horizon, cold and very lonely.

Johnny hauled himself off the cold, nearly frozen ground, suddenly wishing he had brought his car. His eyes blinked against the rising sun for a moment, before he turned away. He needed time to clear his head, and then he would get back home. And this time, he would stay there. Besides, thinking of her wasn't helping him much right now.

--

"So, he just left? Without even saying goodbye?"

"Well, not really," Devi replied. "He did say goodbye. In the note he left, I mean."

Tenna and Devi were sitting in a booth at the Eat-or-Die. It was around noon now, and all around them people were sharing conversations, stuffing their faces as they talked. It was just background noise to Devi; meaningless and full of static. All she could think of was Johnny.

"That's kind of weird," Tenna observed. "He seemed nice when we met him, right Spooky?" She gave the rubber skeleton a soft squeak.

"He _is_ nice. But I swear, Ten'. He's just making me feel so…so…"

"Crazy?"

Devi groaned and let her forehead hit the table with a soft 'thump'. "Yes, I guess you could say that."

Tenna listened to her friend's slightly muffled words. She drummed her fingers on the table, pouting her lower lip as she tried to think. Before she could say something, Devi lifted her head, her green eyes brimming with confusion.

"I don't know, Tenna," she muttered. "I just wish I knew why I care about this so much."

Tenna looked at her friend carefully. In all the years they had been friends, she had never seen Devi so miserable. But she finally thought of something to say.

"Go to him."

Devi stared back. "What?"

"You heard me," Tenna replied. "Go to his house, and see him there."

"Why the fuck would I do that?" Devi growled, narrowing her eyes to an icy glare.

"Because he's your friend, and you're worried about him."

Devi was still for a moment, running Tenna's words through her mind over and over again. The events of the past few days replayed in her memory. In such a short time, the friendship between Johnny and herself had been restored, strengthened, and perhaps, been turned something more. Devi's glare softened, and she sighed. She stood, threw on her coat and turned for the door.

"I must be out of my mind," she whispered as she left.

Tenna followed her out of the restaurant, Spooky in hand. "You're not out of your mind. You tried pulling that on me before, remember? With that freaky painting, and-"

Devi rolled her eyes. "I'll see 'ya later, Tenna," she muttered, talking her leave.

As Tenna watched her friend leave, she smiled, and though she knew Devi couldn't hear her, she whispered to her.

"Go and get 'im, tiger."

--

There it was.

The house.

_His_ house.

Or was it more of a shack than an actual house? It certainly seemed that way. Even from outside, Devi could see the poor condition of the building. The walls were cracked. Dead leaves clung lifelessly to the flat roof. The windows had no glass, but were boarded with planks of hardwood. Through the planks, she could see the gloomy darkness within. Devi almost expected to see a pair of red eyes staring back at her, like in some horror movie.

It looked the same as the last time she saw it. It was the night of her date with Johnny. After a movie and a long talk at the hill, they had come here. The interior of the house mirrored the outside. The walls inside were cracked. The floor was crawling with dirt and debris. The couch was ripped, and the entire place smelled of dust. Devi shivered as she remembered this. But, oddly, the last time she was here, before Johnny had snapped, it didn't seem like such a gruesome dwelling.

Taking in a deep lungful of air, Devi narrowed her eyes and began walking to the front door. She knocked on it a few times, softly, with a shaking hand.

No answer.

"Johnny, it's Devi," she called. Still, no answer came. She knocked on the door more forcefully. "Nny, I came to see if you were-"

There was a loud creaking sort of sound, and the door opened a crack. Devi stepped back, a bit surprised. She regained her posture, and spoke again.

"Nny, are you okay?" No answer again. Her hand shaking, she grasped the doorknob, and pushed open the door, unveiling the shadowy rooms. "Are you…even here?"

Trembling, with worry of her friend and fear for herself, Devi stepped forward. And, against all her better judgment, she entered the forebodingly dark house.

--

_Yey! I feel happy now. Devi's bad…breaking into Nny's house like that. (throws waffles at her I shall start on the next chapter right now. Before my creative block comes back._


	10. Bloodstains

_So much for "starting the next chapter right now." . School is just as homicidal as Nny is. Here's Squee, as I promised. _

--

"And stay out! I told you, little boy. We don't have any kids."

"For the love of Jeebus, honey! He's your _son_!"

Little Todd Casil stood at the door to his house. He was staring up at his parents with scared eyes as big as dinner plates. Once again, his mother had forgotten that he was her son. He began to wonder what sort of substance she had put in her body this time. He glanced over at the dark shadow of his father. Like always, his father wasn't being much help.

"Oh, r-really?" Mrs. Casil said, rather stupidly. "Well, he can stay out there for a few hours."

"Yeah, it'll give us some time to ourselves," Mr. Casil agreed. He gave Todd a glare. "You, young man. You can make yourself useful and get a job." With that, he slammed the door shut.

Todd gave a frightened "Squeee!" as the door slammed in his face, and tumbled backwards and onto the paved walkway, landing painfully on his rump. He was about to get up when the door opened again.

"And take out the trash!" A full garbage bag was flung onto the ground beside him. Todd gave a little whimper and struggled to his feet, brushing the dirt off his clothing. He had grown a few inches in the past year, but it wasn't enough to get his out of his "squee-sized" status. Timid, creative, and quite small for his age, Todd was pretty much the same boy he had always been.

He gripped the trash bag in his hands and dragged it, with great effort, to the side of the house. Then he returned to the front yard and sat on the lawn, panting as he tried to catch his breath. After a moment he sank down, his bright hazel eyes gazing at the darkening, cloud-smeared sky. Todd closed his eyes and sighed longingly. He remembered a story he wrote in school; about a young boy who had sprouted wings and flew off to see the world. In a way, the boy in the story represented himself. Todd found himself wishing that he could be that boy, and fly away from his uncaring parents.

Todd was jerked out of his thoughts as a sound reached his ears. It was a slow, repetitive noise, almost metallic. Todd shivered. It almost reminded him of those steel-toed boots the scary neighbor man used to wear.

Todd cast his attention to the street, in time to see a thin, shadowy figure walking toward him.

"…Scary Neighbor Man?"

"Squee?"

--

Memory flooded Devi's mind as she eyed the couch in Johnny's living room. They had talked, even laughed together, while sitting there. She could almost hear the sound of their laughter, as if the ghost of that moment one year ago haunted the place. But she wasn't here to reminisce. Devi shook her head and looked around the room. It was gloomy, a bit dirty, and the walls were cracked. Everything was just as she remembered it.

Well, almost. A thin layer of dust covered everything. A plastic figure of some fat guy holding up a burger rested on a misplaced chest of drawers. These seemed to be a few minor changes due to the passage of time. But the thing that caught Devi's attention was a large, dark stain on the floor. It was still visible under the dust and dirt, probably left over from a puddle of dark, sticky liquid from years ago.

Devi looked down at it as she passed, and shuddered. It looked like a huge, forgotten bloodstain.

--

Johnny looked down at Todd with tired eyes, wondering if it was really him. Though he was still a tad short, the boy had grown. He chuckled. "Oh, it _is_ you. I didn't recognize you," he said. "You've grown a bit."

Todd looked down at his shoes, nervous. The thought Johnny's return had given him nightmares for months. He had expected to find a severed head on his window sill one night as a gift, but seeing Johnny now surprised him. He was still as thin as a twig, his eyes sunken and dull. His hair has grown back, but there was something else different about him.

"Nah. Still shortest in my class," Todd said, looking up with fearful eyes. "Are you back for good, now?"

"Yeah. I won't be going anywhere anytime s-" Johnny broke off, coughing roughly into his fist. Todd stiffened, frightened for a fraction of a second, then regained his composure. As he watched his friend, Todd's fear was replaced by worry.

Johnny managed to breathe again, and stood there panting. He noticed that Todd was staring at him. "What?"

"Johnny, are you okay?" he asked, cocking his head.

He looked down at Todd, a bit touched that he was worried for him. But his eyes clouded over once again. There was no way him hell he would admit weakness to Squee. He looked away. "I'm fine."

The boy studied him for a while, and Johnny could almost feel Todd's eyes scouring him.

"Hey, what happened to your arm?" Todd was staring at the tear in his coat. Underneath the loose flap of fabric, he could see a bandage stained with blood. But Johnny covered it with a hand, hiding it once again.

"Nothing," he said, still not making eyes contact. "It's nothing, Squee."

There was a silence. Todd realized that something was flickering in Johnny's eyes, something that looked like regret, or sorrow. He knew that something had happened to Johnny, but he kept his mouth shut. Even though he wanted to ask, he sensed that his friend didn't want to talk about it.

--

Devi was getting rather frustrated now.

"Where the fuck is he?" she muttered as she paced about the rooms. She was nearing the back of the house now, and there was still no sign of Johnny. She growled, and turned to go back the way she came, but she stopped, her eyes narrowing with interest.

There was an open doorway before her. A long, downward staircase lay beyond it, dimly lit by the small amount of light in the room. The sound of a slow drip of water echoed from somewhere in the darkness.

"_He could be down there_," she thought, then mentally slapped herself. "_Are you crazy! Arrgh, get a grip, Devi! Would you really go down there? Are you that worried about him?_"

Running a hand over her face in frustration, she looked to the side. Her gaze widened. An old, plastic flashlight lay there on the floor, as if fate knew of Devi's worries. She picked it up, staring at it. "_Don't work_," she ordered it silently. If it was usable, she knew she would have to go down there. Her conscious wouldn't let her walk away. "_Don't, don't work. For the love of God, don't work._"

Devi flicked the switch. The small bulb inside beamed with light. It worked. By some, sick joke of fate, the stupid thing worked. She shined the shaft of light into the dark opening, and stepped forward.

"Apparently, Dev', you're very worried."

--

The thin man gave a sigh. The silence was making him uncomfortable. Johnny looked up at the trees, their bare branches swaying in the wind. "It's cold out here," he said uneasily. "Why are you outside, anyway?"

"My mom forgot who I was… again." Todd stared down at the pavement once more.

Johnny gritted his teeth. "Bastards. I'd like to slit their throats for treating you that way."

Todd opened his mouth to reply, but a voice stopped him.

"Hey, kid!"

Both he and Johnny turned to see the door to Todd's house open. Silhouetted black against the light inside, stood a man with glasses. It was Todd's father.

"Your mother wants you inside, now!" he called. "She says you have to feed the cat."

"But the cat's _dead_," Todd muttered quietly. Johnny felt his stomach churn in utter disgust of these people.

"Now, kid!"

Todd recoiled at his dad's tone. "I'd better go," he said, and began slinking back to the house submissively. "Dad's getting impatient."

Johnny tightened his fists. "Will you be okay?"

The boy turned around, flashing a weak smile. "Yeah, I'll be all right. I know how to handle them."

"TODD!"

"I'm coming!" He yelled back, annoyed but clearly frightened as well. "By Johnny."

Johnny waited until Todd closed the door behind him before continuing down the street. He let a faint smile grace his lips. Todd seemed to be a bit stronger than before. He wasn't letting fear get to him as much as he used to. "_Well, at least things are starting to look up for him,_" he thought.

He continued on his way, his head spinning with thought. "_I wonder what Devi's doing right now…_"

--

"Finally."

Devi could see the landing of the floor. The climb seemed to have taken hours. The wooden stairs were damp and rotten, and though she had walked carefully, she had nearly slipped several times. The flashlight offered nothing more than a dim, flickering glow, making every step all the more uncertain. It was like something from a teen horror film.

She stepped onto the basement's floor, and directed the flashlight around the dusty ground. Not much could be seen, just shadows at the most. A faint skittering noise rose up from behind her, and Devi swung around, holding the light out in front of her.

A pair of beady red eyes glared back at her.

Gasping in fear, Devi dropped the flashlight. She saw a rat scamper in front of the beam before it flicked and went dark. She was plunged in complete darkness.

"Fuck" She knelt down, feeling around the floor and cursing the rat for spooking her. At last her hand came to rest on the plastic handle of the flashlight. She picked it up, and flicked the switch a few times. Nothing happened. Devi stood, and tried again. This time, the light sputtered on again.

Devi felt relief wash over her, but it didn't last. When she looked up, she saw them.

Dozens and dozens of torture devices.

She stepped back on shock, gasping, and felt her arm hit another. Devi spun around again, and flashed the light around in all directions. She could see them everywhere. Chains, blades, straps, bloodstains, everything gleamed back at her with a dull metallic shine. Trembling, Devi moved the beam again, and nearly screamed.

Strapped to a mechanism on the wall was a human skeleton. Chains held it at its waist, ankles, and wrists. The empty sockets of its eyes stared mournfully back at her. A few missing bones, along with a pair of mangled, cracked glasses, lay scattered on the floor beneath it.

Terrified, Devi stumbled backwards. She lost her footing, and fell, her shoulders striking a wall. Without thinking she looked up, and immediately wished she hadn't.

The wall was coated with dried blood.

--

Johnny reached the door to his house, pulled out his keys, but stopped, gazing at the knob suspiciously. He reached out a hand, and turned it gently. It was unlocked.

"That's odd," he whispered to himself. "I thought I had locked it when I left before. Oh well… It's not like it matters now."

He walked in, and shut the door behind him.

--

_Cameo appearance made by Edgar. XD_

_Okay, I'm a bit rusty on writing, but it came out fairly well, and longer than I expected. I swear to Fenris that the next update will be soon._


	11. Dustcoated Memories

_Well, I'm back! (dances) I finally got the time and drive to write. I'd like to thank my teachers for giving me a break on school work, Nickleback, for their wonderful songs which gave me some inspiration, and of course, my reviewers. I love you all!_

--

"Ah, you're back. For good this time, I hope."

The voice that rang in Johnny's head upon entering came from the table in the corner of the room. Reverend Meat sat there, smiling at Johnny with a drooling grin and forever holding up a plastic hamburger.

"Shut up, Meat," he said, tossing his die-ary on the couch. "What do you care if I'm here or not?"

"Well, it does get lonely here. You've been gone for a year, you know." The plastic figure almost looked sad. "And the last time you came, you didn't stay long. You just picked up your book and shuffled off again, without even saying hello. I miss our talks."

He approached the table, glaring down at Meat and scowling angrily. He remembered their talks quite well. Reverend Meat's sole purpose was to make Johnny feel, to remind him of life's sensations, both pleasant and horrifying. But the murderer wanted none of that; he wanted to be cold and unfeeling, like and insect. And that damned burger boy wouldn't let him do that.

"I don't," Johnny said. He backed away and paced the floor in front of the table. "I don't miss any of it, Meat. I left this place to get away from everything… from _you_."

The plastic figure chuckled. "Dear boy, you can never get away from me. I'm a part of you! One can never escape one's self!"

He stopped pacing, his back turned to the Reverend. "I'm going to get a knife," Johnny murmured, turning his head to face Meat, "and _cut_ you out of me."

"Oh, come on now, Nny," it replied. "No need to be dramatic. Besides, it seems like you've been cut up enough."

Johnny's scowl faded as he looked own at his arm, through the tear on his trench coat he could see the bloodstained bandage. He thought of Devi, and sighed sadly. "I'm not going to talk about it."

There was a silence, the Meat spoke again. "You were with Devi, weren't you?"

"Shut up," Johnny hissed.

"You were hurt when you fought for her, and she helped you in return."

"I said, _shut up_."

"You still have feelings for her," he cooed.

"I'm warning you."

"Don't deny it. It's right here in your head."

"Shut the fuck up!" Johnny whirled around. He snatched Reverend Meat him his hand, and bellowed into the doll's face. "You just don't know when to quit! Yes, I admit it! I was hurt and she cared for me in return for what I did for her, but that's all. I left and there's nothing else to say. It's over! I made sure of it!"

He threw the plastic figure down and approached the battered couch. He sat down heavily, his head hanging. "I made sure of it," he continued forlornly. "There's nothing left between us."

"But you wish there was," Meat said softly.

Johnny let out a harsh breath, half angry, half regretful. He got up, and made his way to the next room. "Leave me alone, Meat," he whispered.

"My dear boy," Reverend Meat said, "you _are_ alone."

He ignored Meat's last words. With anger burning in his belly he left the room. He walked quickly, muttering furiously to himself all the while. "I don't need his opinion," he chanted over and over. "I hate him."

Johnny paused his steps, and slumped against one of the walls. He stood with closed eyes, trying to clear his mind of the Reverend's words, but was interrupted as he coughed a few times. He groaned, opening his eyes, and looked around him. His gaze wandered around the room, and rested on a darkened doorway. It was more of an open, rectangular hole in the wall than a doorway; the door was long been missing, and only rusty hinges remained. Beyond the threshold laid long stairwell. And, beyond that, his basements; his torture chambers.

Without knowing why, Johnny approached it, and peered down into the murky shadows. Even though he loathed the place, he suddenly wanted to venture down there. _Maybe for the sake of a memory_, he thought. _It's a bad memory, but a memory nonetheless._

With these thoughts, he began his descent into the darkness.

--

"Amazing how much wood can decay in a year," he chuckled to himself.

Ten minutes later, and Johnny was still walking. The stairs were even more rotten than he had remembered. They were damp and slippery in some places. Some of the planks were only half there, and some were gone altogether. It was all coated with a layer of dust, thicker than the layer that blanketed upstairs. Johnny's trench coat swept it up as he walked, creating a thin cloud that rose up from his feet. It drifted around him, tickling his nose and making him sneeze violently a few times. He shook his head and blinked to clear his vision.

When his senses had cleared, he looked before him again. He fancied that he saw a dim, flickering light coming from the room at the bottom of the first landing, but it vanished before he was sure of what he saw. He shrugged it off and continued down the last few steps.

--

She crouched there, wide-eyed and shaking. Devi gripped the flashlight so tightly that her fingers grew numb. Fear had her by the throat. All thought was cut off. She couldn't bring herself to move away from that blood-drenched wall, let alone take her eyes off it.

After what seemed like hours, she tore herself from the shock. Breathing heavily, Devi stood on unsteady legs and looked around her once more. Terrified thoughts flooded her mind.

_This can't be happening,_ she screamed inside. _It can't. He wouldn't… Johnny wouldn't…_ She stopped herself. He had tried to kill her once, after all. Maybe…

Devi looked back at the bones strapped to a machine. That was just one victim. How many other people had he killed? Sickness had tried to do the same thing to her, but Devi had stopped her before the vile little doll caught hold of her mind.

"_Your friend thought he could fight, too,"_ the doll had said. "_And he ended up… introducing us to you."_

She had realized that Sickness had been talking about Johnny when she spoke those poisonous words to her months ago. While she and Johnny talked at her apartment, she had suspected it again.

"_I think I know what came over you that one night, but I… I'm not sure."_

She was damned sure of it, now. Johnny had tried to fight it off, wherever it had come from, but had given into it at some point. She suddenly recalled the time he had called her to attempt an apology. He had mentioned something…

"_No, I'm not talking about suicide. That was Psycho-doughboy's thing. Oh, I didn't introduce you to him- he was one of my little Styrofoam friends."_

It all made perfect sense. _But he's changed!_, Devi thought. _He wouldn't have done anything like this now! Not anymore! He told me he'd changed! He couldn't have lied to me!_

"_No matter what I tried to do in the past… it doesn't matter now." _His raspy voice and reassuring words echoed in her mind. _"I would never let you suffer like that, no matter how much you hate me."_

But, try as she might, Devi couldn't convince herself. Every piece of previous evidence fell right into place. But what she saw before her seemed to prove otherwise. All these torture devices… why else would he have kept them?

Devi went ridged, and her heart pounded as her thoughts were cut off. She heard something coming from the stairs. Devi silently begged that it was just another rat, but the sound wasn't the pattering of small claws. It sounded like slow, careful footsteps. She tired to persuade herself into thinking that it was just her fear and paranoia messing with her senses. But then Devi heard something that sounded all too human- a series of harsh sneezes.

That was no rat.

"Oh _shit_," Devi hissed. She looked around wildly, and spotted an over-turned table in the far corner. She bolted toward it as quietly as she could, dived behind it, and turned off the flashlight. Darkness engulfed her along with a fresh wave of terror. She could almost hear her pulse beating in her head.

The footsteps grew louder, closer, and then stopped on the landing. A click, and a dim light from above flooded the room. There was a light sniffle, another sneeze, and more footsteps.

Trembling in her hiding place, Devi peered around the corner of the table. Johnny was staring off into the opposite direction, right at the bloodstained wall. She watched as he ran a skeletal hand along the dried blood, whispering unclear words.

On all fours, she backed behind the table again. A metallic clanging sound made her go ridged, and she felt more frightened than ever before. Shaking, she looked behind her.

Her boot has struck an empty can. It clattered onto the floor, and rolled away slowly, glinting in the diffuse light.

_Fuck._

--

_Okay, I'll stop here and leave you all hanging because I'm evil. I stole two lines from Secret Window, in case you noticed. Can you blame me? I was watching the movie before I wrote this, and those two quotes seemed to fit Nny better than they did Mort Rainey._

_Leave a review, and I'll give you leftover Halloween candy:D_


	12. Confrontation

_Yup, another update. I'm in a major writing mood. I've been thinking about this story most of the night. Wow, talk about obsessive. Oh well. Thanks to all that reviewed. (gives you all moldy candy from Halloween) On to the chapter._

--

Johnny reached the landing with a smile, if you could call it that, etched onto his face. His hand wandered to the light switch, and he turned it on. The dim lights in the ceiling blinked on, giving the room just enough brightness to see through the shadows.

He looked around, eyeing everything with a sad, hateful spark in his eyes. The chamber seemed incomplete without at least one victim in restraints- save for the lonely skeleton on the opposite wall. It had been so long since Johnny had felt the need to use any of this stuff, and he knew that was for the best, but it felt like something was missing here in his boarded-up home.

His nose tickled suddenly, and he sniffled in protest, but to no avail. Johnny sneezed once more, loudly, and when he regained his composure he growled to himself. _I've got to clean this place out_, he thought, beginning to walk while looking around the dusty room again. _This dust is just as bad as cat fur._

He continued to walk around, gazing at all the bloodstained metal. Over here, he had locked up a man in a crate with man-eating rats. To the left of that, he had nearly laughed at a young girl who was complaining about mascara running down her face along with her tears. Across from that, on the other side of the stairs, he had strung up a young woman and her boyfriend. Johnny smiled as he thought of his conversation with the girl. She had been a bit clueless, but she had a good mind. Unlike her idiot boyfriend, she had managed to escape when that beast had escaped from the wall.

Speaking of which...

Johnny turned, and there he saw it. The wall of blood. He felt cold, as if his insides had turned to ice, as he approached it. He moved slowly, cautiously, almost if he expected that thing to tear its way out of it again. The blood splattered all over it ran in dark, dried rivers down its surface. Johnny chuckled as he remembered something he had said about it long ago. _"You see!? It changes color when it dries!"_

_Funny, yes, _he thought. _But not as humorous now as it once was._

All the people he had killed, possibly hundreds of victims- their blood had been painted here. And his damned insanity had made him do it. No, wait. It wasn't so much his insanity. _They_ had made him kill, and try as he might, he could never fight it. It took a bullet through his head to make him realize that. It was… that thing, in the wall. Those doughboys. Those _fucking voices._

Johnny lifted his arm slowly. It felt heavy and the deep wound on it stung with pain, but he ignored it. His boney hand rested on it, and he gently ran it over the bloodstains. He drew in a long, shaken breath, and rested his forehead on the wall and clamped his eyes shut.

"I hate you," he breathed hatefully. "I fucking _hate_ you."

He remained there for a few moments, but then something reached his ears that made his eyes snap open. Johnny whirled around, and his dark gaze landed on an empty can. It was rolling, slowly, across the floor. He watched and listened, and the soft sound of restricted movement came from behind an over-turned table; right where the can had rolled away from.

Someone was there.

Quick as lightning, Johnny took out a long blade from his coat pocket. He held it in front of him, anger plastered on his face, and walked over to the table slowly.

"I know you're here," he said, poison in his voice. "You should have known that it's not wise to enter a house that isn't yours…"

Johnny came closer still, his boots barely making a sound beneath him. His thin shadow fell across the intruder's hiding place. He paused, glaring at it and lifting the blade higher. He spoke once more, his voice brimming with threat.

"And now, my friend," he hissed, "you're going to get what you paid for."

Johnny loomed over the table, his knife poised to strike, but he stopped abruptly. His expression of hate was replaced with shock.

"_Devi?_ What are you doing here?"

Devi was sitting there, trembling. She was breathing rapidly, her green eyes were huge with terror and staring right into Johnny's bewildered face. She seemed to break away from her shock for a moment, and gazed around fearfully. Devi grabbed the first potential weapon she could see; a long piece of bloodstained metal, and held it out in front of her with wavering arms.

"Stay back," she warned, getting to her feet, still holding out the metal beam.

"Devi, this isn't what it looks like," he said, lowering the knife. "I thought you were someone else."

"Don't give me that crap!" Devi shouted. She inched her way out from behind the table, glaring fearfully at him. "I saw that skeleton hanging from the wall… I _know_ what you do down here!"

Johnny looked over to where the bones hung, strapped to a device on the wall. "Oh, that's Edgar," he said casually. "You should have seen him before I pieced him back together. He was really torn up. Took me a while to get his bones to stick the right…"

Johnny trailed off as he noticed Devi's horrified expression.

"Okay, that was the wrong thing to say." He groaned, ran his free hand over his hair as if he were embarrassed, and stepped toward her. "Look, just calm down."

"You stay the _fuck_ away from me!" she snarled, moving further aside.

"Devi, calm down." He advanced closer. "I'm not going to-"

"The hell you won't!" She lifted the metal threateningly. "I kicked your ass once before, Nny, and I'll do it _again_ if I have to!"

Johnny studied her for a moment. Sighing, he held up his knife, (Devi flinched at this) and threw it to the side. It hit floor yards away, rattling noisily. He reached into his second pocket, and tossed the other knife as well. Devi stared at him, still untrusting, as he spoke.

"Okay, see? I'm disarmed. I've nothing to attack you with," he said slowly and softly, as he walked toward her once again. "I'm not going to do anything. Now, just calm down, and let me near you."

"Why the fuck should I? You're a _homicidal maniac_, Johnny!"

Johnny rolled his eyes. He already knew that.

"Look, just trust me. If I do _anything_ to hurt you," he nodded to Devi's makeshift weapon, "then feel free to aim for my head. Sound good?"

Devi chuckled. She was amazed that she could in this situation. "Except for the 'aim for your head part', _no._"

"Good enough answer."

Johnny walked foreword, taking one step at a time. Devi retreated as he did, trying to find a way around him, but her back hit the wall before she could. She clutched the metal tightly, ready to defend herself if Johnny made any sudden moves. But he stayed fixed at his slow, steady pace. His eyes were mournfully calm as he came closer, and finally he came to a stop inches away from her.

Devi's nerves suddenly broke, and she swung the metal beam at him. Johnny caught it in his grasp before it connected with his head. Devi stared up at him in horror.

"You son of a-"

"Shh." Johnny cut her off, putting a thin finger to her lips. "I said you can _aim_ for my head, not _hit_ it."

Their eyes met; apologetic dark brown clashing against fearful bright green. Devi's gaze softened, and her eyes seemed to glaze. The world was spinning before her, darkness closing in. Her hand fell away from her weapon, and she began to fall back in a faint.

Dropping the metal beam, Johnny caught her before she fell. He lowered her, gently, onto the floor, where she lay with closed eyes.

"Devi?" He leaned over her, speaking her name with worry, and patting her face lightly with his hand. "C'mon Dev', stay with me."

She whimpered, and her eyes fluttered open. Johnny sighed with relief as he saw Devi's misty eyes begin to focus again.

"Are you okay?"

"What happened…?" she asked weakly. Her eyes fully opened as her vision cleared, and fear gripped her again as she remembered where she was. "What did you-"

"Nothing," he answered nervously. "You fainted."

Devi tried to sit up, but she felt dizzy again. She groaned, closing her eyes putting a hand to her head. She heard Johnny clear his throat and looked up blearily. He was still kneeling beside her, and he offered Devi his hand.

"Here, let me help you up."

She took his hand, and slowly, they rose to their feet. Devi stood uneasily, her legs quaking. She almost fell again, but Johnny held onto her shoulders and helped her keep balance.

"Steady, easy now," he whispered to her. When she had fully regained her awareness he loosened his grip but kept his hands on her shoulders.

"How did you get down here, Devi?" he asked.

"I…" Devi began falteringly but found her voice again. "I wanted to talk to you. The front door was open, and I thought that something happened, and I was worried… I looked around for you and ended up here."

Johnny listened intently to her words. "You were worried about me?"

"I _was_." Devi said, with angry fear rising in her voice. "But when I saw all of _this_…" She pushed away from him, and backed away a few steps. Then she turned, facing the blood-coated wall. "I wasn't sure what to think."

He lowered his head. "You were never meant to know of any of this," Johnny whispered. "None of it. I'm not like that anymore."

"The way you took care of those guys," Devi said, "the fact that all of _this _is still down here, makes it hard to believe that."

Johnny closed his eyes, and turned away from her folding his arms over his chest. They were now facing each other's backs. "You'd better go," he said. "I don't want to keep you here."

He sighed, and turned his head to her, opening his eyes. Devi was facing him again, her eyes blazing. "I think I know why you're the way you are."

"Devi, how could you know anything about it? I barely even know," he said, shuddering as his voice began to rise. "How can you possib-"

She cut him off. "It's time we talked about this, Johnny."

--

_This chapter was fun to write. Devi's freak-out made me laugh. I loved it when she called him a homicidal maniac. Oh, and when Nny said "I said you can aim for my head, not hit it." That was awesome too. _

_Well, that's all for now. Forgive me if it seemed a bit rushed toward the end. Leave a review and tell me how you like it._


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